Monthly Archives: December 2012

So, what about Windows 8.

I’m currently using three different computers that are running Windows 8. Two are desk-tops, one a lap-top, all three at least six year old and now rather underpowered for modern use.
On all three, Windows 8 installed from DVD in about half an hour and went unexpectedly smoothly. Using the Microsoft drivers the lap-top’s graphics weren’t particularly good. Not too surprised, the manufacturers web site states the machine is not Win 7 or 8 compatible! However found some drivers which, when run under XP mode, worked better.

On one of the desk-tops, on first install it didn’t pick up on the sound card. A quick driver download sorted that. Did a Win 8 re-install and it must have found these drivers on the hard drive because this time sound worked a treat.

I really can’t be bothered with the new, what was called Metro desktop, so go straight to the classic option. Having machines dual booting between Win 7 and 8 means I can do some performance comparisons between them and found, to my surprise, Win 8 running between 5% and 10% faster than the same machine when running Win 7. This I had not expected. I’m not too sure what I was expecting, but not this increase in performance.
I’ve found Win 8 runs all my programs without problems. It’s not mucked me about and I’m quite happy to use is as my principle day to day operating system. It’s certainly made we curious to try a proper touch-screen device and see what I make of that, though I have no plans to move away from my Android phones. Anyway I have an iPhone 3GS as a back-up for them, and I really don’t want to be running a third system.

Something I think I shall do is make myself a new Microsoft account and then log in with that and see how well the Microsoft synchronisation works across different machines. I’m actually quite happy with my current Google / Gmail set-up for cross-machine working, especially as it works across Windows and Apple devices, however it never does any harm keeping an eye on alternatives (opposition?).